Aston Villa have secured a £20 million-per-year shirt sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda — but the agreement has drawn an immediate warning from Amnesty International UK, which says Rwanda will use the partnership to deflect scrutiny from its human rights record.

Rwanda's tourist board will take the front-of-shirt position for the men's, women's, and academy teams in a multi-year arrangement, replacing Betano after Premier League clubs agreed to remove gambling sponsors from matchday shirts by the close of last season.

Amnesty raises alarm

Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK's head of campaigns, issued a stark statement to BBC Sport.